Emergency Food Box Packing Challenge for Veterans

The GIANT Company joined with one of its longstanding hunger relief partners, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, to engage 520 grocery store managers and executives in an charitable food box packing challenge in the parking lot of The GIANT Center® in Hershey, Pa. The volunteer event was part of the company’s internal annual business meeting and officially kicked off its 100th anniversary.  

In the spirit of friendly competition, team members were divided into teams to box up pallets of shelf-stable, nourishing products, assembly line style. Each team had 30 minutes to pack 170 boxes, which included essentials families need to fill food gaps, like peanut butter, tuna, soup, cereal and milk.  

4,500 30-pound boxes were donated by The GIANT Company. The boxes will serve 3,912 veteran families through the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s MilitaryShare program, providing enough support to sustain the program for a full month. In central Pennsylvania, more than 20% of households receiving food assistance have at least one member who has served, or is currently serving, in the military. In addition to fresh produce and dairy, each registered family also typically receives this box of pantry staples.  

According to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, the demand for food assistance has skyrocketed 15% since March 2023, and food insecurity is near the same high level as it was at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The average family within their service territory is spending 10.4% more on food, and their budgets are strained.  

The GIANT Company donated all the food that was used to pack the emergency food boxes, mostly its own brand products. In total, 520 team members contributed 260 volunteer hours to pack and donate 4,500 30-pound boxes.  

By putting the company’s purpose of connecting families for a better future into action, The GIANT Company believes every family deserves a full plate when they gather together around the table which is why they partner with local hunger relief partners, like the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, to help eliminate hunger in the communities they serve by making meals more attainable to all. It’s also about more than just the donation. GIANT team members also roll up their sleeves and volunteer with local food pantries, providing needed assistance wherever it may be needed.  

The GIANT Company’s objectives for this emergency food box packing event included: 

In total, the boxes donated and packed will provide the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank with an additional 112,500 meals worth of healthy food to deliver to veterans and their families most in need in the local community. 

Earned media coverage raised awareness for the endeavor with 17 media placements, generating more than 240,000 potential impressions.